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March 18, 2026
EaND News and Events
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Bishop Election Conference Assemblies
Spring Conference Assemblies are an important part of our synod's bishop election process. Voting members include: congregation council members, conference officers, rostered ministers under call, and synod authorized ministers under contract.
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Grand Forks Conference: March 22nd at 2:00pm, University Lutheran Church, Grand Forks
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Fargo Conference: March 22nd at 2:00pm, Faith + Journey Lutheran Church, West Fargo
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Mayville Conference: March 22nd at 3:00pm, Bruflat Lutheran Church
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Spirit Lake Conference: March 22nd at 3:00pm, St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Devils Lake
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Prairie Rose Conference: March 22nd at 6:30pm, Red Willow Bible Camp
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Wahpeton Conference: March 26th at 6:30pm, Milnor Lutheran Church, Milnor
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Jamestown Conference: March 28th at 10:00am, Atonement Lutheran Church, Jamestown
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Grafton Conference: March 29th at 3:00pm, Trinity Lutheran Church, Edinburg
Additional information, including a list of nominees and their bios, is available on the Bishop Election page of our synod website: www.eandsynod.org/bishop-election
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Joint Theological Day 2026
April 16, 2026
9:00am - 3:00pm
Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead
Registration deadline: April 9
Join us for a day of worship, learning, and conversation as we gather for our Joint Theological Day under the theme “Do Good. Better.”
Together, we will explore what it means to cultivate deeper discipleship, restorative community, and faithful presence in our congregations and neighborhoods. The day will include keynote teaching, a documentary viewing highlighting restorative writing and community transformation, and a panel conversation with leaders whose lives and churches have been shaped by this work.
We will begin and end grounded in worship, remembering that all our theological reflection flows from God’s goodness and grace.
Learn more and register at this link.
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Grey Area Thinking
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Time: 10am - 1pm
Location: St. John Lutheran Church, 1710 5th St. S., Fargo
Facilitator: Ellie Klug
What does the phrase “diversity and inclusion” actually mean? How can we move beyond grouping and labeling of other humans to make an organization-- or even our personal lives--more diverse and inclusive?
This training provides an easy-to-understand toolset on how to be more welcoming of anyone who is “Other” in our society.
There is no cost to this event, but pre-registration is required. Register here!
Sponsored By: St. John Lutheran Church, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Eastern North Dakota Synod Advocacy & Action Team, & Theatre B
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Stewardship Day: Navigating the Summer Slump
Congregations are invited to take part in Navigating the Summer Slump, a hybrid event on May 7 focused on practical ways to stay connected and sustain generosity during the summer months. Designed for ministers, treasurers, and leadership teams, this event offers realistic strategies and digital tools to support participation when routines change.
The in-person portion will be held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Moorhead, and participants will be able to register to attend either in person or via Zoom, based on what works best for them. Learn more and register here.
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We're Hiring: Endowment Manager
The EaND Synod is hiring an Endowment Manager. The Endowment Manager is a part-time contract position. Compensation is based on an average of 30 hours per month, while noting variation in the month-to-month workflow. This position is remote and requires one to be self-motivated and independent while also connecting appropriately with bishop, synod staff, and synod constituents. This contracted position is an extension of the Office of the Bishop, works strategically with the priorities of the synod, and reports directly to the bishop.
Apply by sending a cover letter and resume to Deacon Laura Carson at deaconlaura@eandsynod.org. Applications will be received until the position is filled. Download the job description here. View this posting on our website.
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Ordination of Bryce Bommersbach
Bryce Bommersbach will be ordained to the Ministry of Word & Sacrament on March 28, 2026 at 3pm at Sharon Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND. Ministers are invited to vest and process, and the color of the day is red. Join us (and the whole Church) in celebration! Bryce has been called as Associate Pastor of Children's Ministries at Servant of Christ Lutheran Church in Champlin, MN.
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Call Process
Please pray for congregations and rostered ministers in the call process. You can find a list of congregations currently in the call process on our website.
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Notice of Rostered Minister & Family Deaths
The synod office is occasionally notified of the deaths of rostered ministers and/or their spouses who at one time served in Eastern North Dakota but are no longer on our synod's roster. We share that information in this e-newsletter when we receive it. The following information has been recently shared with us. We give thanks for the life and ministry of the following individual(s):
Rev. Robert C. Berthold died on February 27, 2026. He served congregations in Hannaford and Sutton, Jamestown, and Carrington, ND. Click here to download his obituary.
Almighty God, source of all mercy and giver of comfort, graciously tend those who mourn, that, casting all their sorrow on you, they may know the consolation of your love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (ELW, p 281)
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Church Property Resource Hub Town Halls
You are invited to learn more about the Church Property Resource Hub, a new project of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), at one of three upcoming town halls. These webinars are an introduction to the project for congregations and all people connected to the management of church property. Join to explore support available to congregation leaders as they seek to steward property in faithful and practical ways.
Developed in response to requests from synod and congregational leaders, the Church Property Resource Hub offers support in navigating the opportunities and challenges that buildings and land represent for congregational vitality and the wider mission of the church.
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Palm Sunday Path
You are invited to participate in the Palm Sunday Path, an ecumenical and interfaith worship and a processional walk in Bismarck and Fargo. Palm Sunday Path has centered on our call to love those who are hungry or vulnerable (including those who are ill) and the stranger, and to bear public witness to that call, and people from more than 15 states will be participating. Download the flyers below to learn more.
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Recent Communications from the Office of the
Presiding Bishop
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Child Abuse & The Church Webinar Series
On November 12, 2025, the ELCA Church Council adopted a Social Message on Child Protection, calling on congregations to strengthen preaching and teaching on this topic, develop robust policies, and become trauma-informed communities. You can read the full social message here: ELCA Child Protection Social Message.
Wartburg Theological Seminary, in partnership with the Center for Faith & Child Protection (a program of Zero Abuse Project), is hosting a free webinar series featuring theologians and child abuse experts. These webinars will provide practical guidance for implementing the ELCA recommendations and for living out Christ’s call to care for the “least of these.” Click here to register.
2026 Webinar Schedule
• February 26 – Here We Stand and Child Protection (Victor Vieth and Craig Nessan)
• March 26 – A Church that Protects Children (Marcia Bunge and Norma Cook Everist)
• April 23 – Biblical Interpretation and Protecting Children from Abuse (Troy Troftgruben and John Schuetze)
• May 21 – Luther, Lutheran Confessions, and Child Protections (Martin Lohrmann and Timothy Wengert)
• June 18 – Becoming a Trauma-Informed Church (Laura Thein)
• August 27 – Martin Luther on Child Abuse (Victor Vieth)
• September 24 – Lutheran History and Theology (Craig Nessan and Winston Persaud)
• October 22 – Luther on Mental Health to Help Survivors of Child Abuse (Stephen Saunders)
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WellTold: A Nonprofit Storytelling Conference
As winter melts into spring across the Red River Valley, mission-driven leaders will gather at The Magic Factory in Brewhalla for WellTold on April 30, 2026. It’s a day where the work you love meets the stories that move it forward. You’ll reconnect with your purpose, meet people who understand the late nights and big dreams, and learn to tell your story in a way that makes others want to be part of it.
ELCA rostered ministers are invited for a 25% off discount. To receive the discount code, email Alex Benson-Tuff: alex@eandsynod.org
Click here to learn more about WellTold.
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Prairie Fire Preaching Cohort
ELCA Rostered Ministers are invited to apply for the 2026-2027 Prairie Fire Preaching Cohort. The Prairie Fire Preaching Community is born out of Continuous Growth Pathway, a program created through a partnership between SW MN and SE MN ELCA Synods and Gustavus Adolphus College. This program consists of four in-person retreats at Mt. Olivet Retreat and Conference Center in Farmington, MN as well as online cohort meetings. The cost of participation is $600.
Download this flyer to learn more or apply at this link. Please contact Pr. Laura Aase with questions: aase@gustavus.edu
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National Lutheran Choir Concert in Moorhead
Sacred Refuge: From Light to Light: Join the National Lutheran Choir under Artistic Director Jennaya Robison for Sacred Refuge: From Light to Light at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, Minnesota on Saturday, March 21, 2026. Presented in partnership with the Concordia Choir, this moving winter-to-spring concert traces the arc from winter's stillness to spring's awakening, featuring movements from Fanny Hensel's Lobgesang, Shavon Lloyd's So Breaks the Sun, Jake Runestad's Under This Tree and Nada te Turbe, and Aaron McDermid's From Light to Light, commissioned by NLC in 2008.
Date & Location:
3:00 pm, Saturday, March 21, 2026
Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 8th Street S., Moorhead, MN 56560
Tickets: Youth 18 and younger, FREE | Adults/Senior, $20 | Students pay what you will with valid ID
Tickets may be purchased online at NLCA.com or at the door on the day of the concert.
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Conference on Worship, Theology, and the Arts
July 20-22, 2026
St. Olaf College
The Lutheran Center for Faith, Values and Community and the Nourishing Vocation Projects at St. Olaf College would like to invite you to this year’s Conference on Worship, Theology and the Arts: Nourishing Vocation: Every Time, Every Age, Every Place, which takes place in July 2026 at St. Olaf College. The conference will combine signature CWTA musical experiences with innovative and imaginative work being done by both the Nourishing Vocation Project and Nourishing Vocation with Children, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Char Rachuy Cox.
Learn more and register at this link.
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Western States Youth Gathering
The 2026 Western States Youth Gathering (WSYG) is excited to announce a partnership with the ELCA Youth Gathering and California Lutheran University (CLU). We will be celebrating the strengths of this partnership by coming together June 28th - July 1st, 2026, at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, CA. We are expecting hundreds of young people and their adult leaders from across the country to attend. As a Gathering Expedition, the event will include various components, including the Gathering, main-stage sessions, interactive experiences rooted in faith formation, service, connection, nightlife, and more. Youth graduating 8th grade through those graduating 12th grade, including their adult leaders, are encouraged to register. Learn more at this link.
| Registration is now open for the ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering. The gathering will take place July 6-9, 2026 in Indianapolis under the theme "Woven Together." The Rev. Leila Ortiz, former bishop of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, will serve as the event’s theologian-in-residence, working in tandem with the Rev. Lori Kochanski, a fiber artist, ELCA rostered minister and the event’s artist-in-residence. Click here to learn more. | |
Women of the ELCA Triennial Gathering
The Women of the ELCA (WELCA) Triennial Gathering will take place July 16-19, 2026 in Des Moines, IA.
Click here to read about this year's theme, see a list of speakers, browse this year's workshops, and more!
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Center of Addiction & Faith March Webinar: Finding God in the Basement with Author Jennifer Carlier
Join the Center of Addiction & Faith for their free monthly webinar on March 25 @ 12pm CST (Zoom). Finding God in the Basement reimagines the Christian theology of sin and salvation through the lens of addiction, offering a liberative vision of human dignity, hope for recovery, and communal transformation. Join us for a discussion with author Jenn Carlier.
Click here to register.
Learn more about the Center of Addiction & Faith at this link.
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LAST CALL for LSM 2026!
Enrollment for this summer is over 80% full, but there’s still time for young musicians to apply, and for you to nominate students. Lutheran Summer Music is the nation’s premier faith-based music academy for high school musicians. Students come together from around the country for a joyful summer of music-making through large ensembles (band, choir, orchestra), chamber music, private lessons, elective classes (conducting, composition, jazz, musical theatre, handbells, pipe organ) and use their musical gifts in performance, and in worship.
LSM 2026 | St. Olaf College, Minnesota | June 21 - July 19 | Grades 8 - 12 |
Learn more: LSMacademy.org/program
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Phone: 701.232.3381
Physical Address: 1555 43rd St S, Suite 100, Fargo, ND 58103
Mailing Address: PO Box 2019 Fargo, ND 58107
Office Hours:
Monday: by appointment; phones answered between 1-4pm
Tuesday: 9am-4pm
Wednesday: 9am-4pm
Thursday: by appointment; phones answered between 1-4pm
Friday: 9am-4pm
The physical office is only open by appointment on Mondays and Thursdays; however, the phone will be answered between 1pm-4pm.
We are a Reconciling in Christ Synod.
We, as the Eastern North Dakota Synod ELCA, welcome all into the fullness of God's boundless love, without exception. This welcome is inclusive of people of every race, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, physical or mental ability, sex, or station in life. United in Christ, we pledge to use and celebrate our differences as gifts for our work together in all things, including racial equity, intentional invitations, and radical hospitality. Inspired by Christ, we commit to advocate for justice, working for dignity, equity, and wholeness for all people.
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